Matt Dawson: I needed heart surgery after getting Lyme disease in London park

Former rugby international Matt Dawson has revealed he underwent multiple heart operations after contracting Lyme disease from walking in a London Park.

The England star said he is still recovering two years after being infected by a tick, as experts warn this summer’s mild weather has heightened the risk of catching the disease.

Cases of Lyme disease have soared in recent years, from approximately 250 officially reported cases in 2000 to nearly 3,000 currently, although some charities claim the unreported number is as high as 45,000.

The condition has traditionally been most associated with rural heath and moorland areas, however scientists said yesterday it should come as “no surprise” that Dawson picked up the pathogen in an urban park.

The former scrum half, now 44, said: “It was a really scary time for me and my family and I was shocked to find out that a tick bite in Chiswick – such a tiny creature – caused me to end up needing heart surgery.”

Dawson is now free from the disease but still has to take daily medication to help his heart recover, a process he said will take a “long time”.

If left untreated, Lyme disease can lead to heart failure, meningitis, paralysis and memory problems.

It is transmitted via ticks which feast on deer and can also be picked up from undergrowth by dogs and humans.

The rising number of cases is thought to be linked to the Britain’s soaring population of deer.

The proportion of ticks in the environment carrying Lyme disease is still relatively small but climbing rapidly

England’s Matt Dawson at the Rugby World Cup in 2003 CREDIT: ANDREW BUDDIn 2015, around one in 200 ticks, or 0.5 per cent, carried the pathogen, compared to between two and six per cent in 2017, depending on location.

In around two thirds of cases, a distinctive rash develops in the days that follow a tick bite.

Flu-like symptoms are another strong indicator of the disease.

“I had two days where I felt awful – very feverish on the sofa, crashed out,” said Dawson.

“I’d heard of Lyme disease before.

“It was something I’d always associated with places abroad, on the continent, in America, wherever there were deer.

“There’s no way that I would’ve walked through a wood or a forest with my kids and gone back home and thought, “right, I’ll just check for some ticks just to make sure everything is fine”.